Peru’s Ministry of Culture has ended advance ticket reservations for Machu Picchu, replacing them with a 15-minute window to complete purchases on the official ticketing website. If a buyer does not finish paying within that time, the ticket becomes available to someone else. Only tickets carrying a visitor’s name are now sold, and that name must match their identification when they enter.
The ministry says the change aims to ensure that tickets shown as available online can actually be purchased. The system is being tested, and the payment window may be made longer or shorter after the trial. Existing visitor limits remain in place: the site has a daily maximum of 5,600 in the busy season and 4,500 in the quieter season. The Inca Trail network has its own daily cap of 750 visitors.
An alternative to buying online is the DDC-Cusco ticket office in Machupicchu Pueblo, where 1,000 tickets are available each day. These tickets are valid for a visit on the day after purchase, rather than the day they are bought.
